League-Leading Seven Huskers Earn Academic All-Big 12 Accolades

Irving, Texas- The Big 12 Conference named 22 student-athletes to the 2011 Academic All-Big 12 Gymnastics Team, including Nebraska seniors Maria Scaffidi, Maddie Steinauer, Erin Davis, Brittnee Habbib, former Husker Stephanie Seich,junior Lora Evenstad and sophomore Janelle Giblin, the league office announced Tuesday. Nebraska led the field with its seven selections.

Scaffidi, who was most recently named to the 2011 Big 12 Commissioner's Fall Honor Roll, is a deaf or hard of hearing education major at Nebraska. She is a first-team Academic All-Big 12 selection after earning second-team Academic All-Big 12 honors in 2010. Scaffidi is a six-time honoree of the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll.

Steinauer, a biological sciences major at Nebraska, was named a first-team Academic All-Big 12 honoree.  She has earned a spot on the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll two times in her Husker career.

Davis, who majors in psychology, earned the first Academic All-Big 12 honors of her career after being named to the second team. She notched a spot on the 2010 Big 12 Commissioner's Fall Honor Roll. 

Habbib, a communications studies major at Nebraska, also tabbed a spot on the Academic All-Big 12 second team. She was a first-team selection in 2010 and has been named to the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll three times.

Former Husker Seich earned second-team Academic All-Big 12 Honors after most recently being named to the 2010 Big 12 Commissioner's Fall Honor Roll.  She is a nutrition, exercise and health science major at NU.

Evenstad, who has been awarded five Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll accolades, was honored with a first-team Academic All-Big 12 selection for the second-straight year. She is a nutrition, exercise and health science major at Nebraska.

Giblin, a pre speech-language and pathology major, was included as a member of the Academic All-Big 12 first team. She is a three-time honoree of the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll.

Nominated by each institution's director of student-athlete support services and media relations offices, the gymnastics academic all-league squad consisted of 18 first team members combined with four on the second team.  First team members have recorded a 3.20 or better GPA, while the second team are those who have a 3.00 to 3.19 GPA.

To qualify student-athletes must maintain a 3.00 GPA or higher either cumulative or in the two previous semesters and have participated in 60 percent of her team's scheduled contests. Freshmen and transfers are not eligible in their first year of academic residence.  Senior student-athletes who have participated for a minimum of two years and meet all the criteria except percent of participation are also eligible.

First Team (3.20-plus GPA)

Name                            School          Class          Major                          Hometown

Michelle Browning      Iowa State      So.            Child and Adult Family Sciences  Houston, Texas
Jody Lee McKellar       Iowa State      Sr.             Elementary Education   Calgary, Alberta
Celine Paulus              Iowa State      So.           Hospitality Management     Yorba Linda, Calif.
Elizabeth Stranahan    Iowa State      So.             English                            Lawrenceville, Ga.

Mary Burke                     Missouri          Jr.              Undecided                  Inverness, Ill.
Allie Heizelman             Missouri         Jr.                Medical Field             Cypress, Texas
Sandra Ostad                Missouri         So.             International Studies  Oslo, Norway
Lauren Swankoski      Missouri           So.             Undecided                  Chadds Ford, Pa.

Howard Tori                  Missouri           So.            International Business     Chesterfield, Mo.
Lora Evenstad               Nebraska       Jr.               Nutrition, Exercise & Health Science  Grand Forks, N.D.
Janelle Giblin                Nebraska        So.           Pre Speech-Language Pathology  San Ramon, Calif.
Maria Scaffidi                Nebraska        Sr.             Deaf or Hard of Hearing Education Hartland, Wis.
Maddie Steinauer,      Nebraska         Sr.              Biological Sciences                            Omaha, Neb.
Megan Ferguson         Oklahoma       Jr.               Advertising                       Olathe, Kan.
Natasha Kelley           Oklahoma        So.             Communication                Katy, Texas
Kayla Nowak              Oklahoma         So.              Accounting                      Algonquin, Ill.
Natalie Ratcliff           Oklahoma*        Sr.              Early Childhood Education   Overland Park, Kan.
Sara Stone                 Oklahoma          Jr.              Human Relations            Dallas, Texas

Second Team (3.00 t o 3.19 GPA)

Name                      School                  Class                     Major                           Hometown

Alex Gold                Missouri                Sr.                          Nursing                     Plano, Texas
Erin Davis              Nebraska              Sr.                          Psychology          Round Rock, Texas
Brittnee Habbib    Nebraska              Sr.                           Communication Studies     North York, Ontario
Stephanie Seich  Nebraska              Sr.                           Nutrition, Exercise and Health Science                                                                                                  South Amboy, New Jersey